Authors: Alex Archer
From the shadows beyond the rows of cherry trees at the edge of the esplanade, Garin Braden watched the woman he had selected and trained specifically for this day, for this very battle, fall beneath the point of Annja’s sword.
This was not the way things were supposed to end.
No longer content to leave the sword, and hence his future, in the hands of anyone other than himself, Garin had carefully planned and orchestrated events for years to arrive at this point in time. Originally created to eliminate Roux, the training of his beautiful assassin had been redirected when Annja had reunited the pieces of Joan’s shattered sword, irrevocably changing the status quo. Garin had adapted, however, and modified his goals. His intent to steal the sword for himself and eliminate both his former mentor and his mentor’s new protégé had seemed flawless, but apparently he’d done something that he kept telling himself, and even the Dragon, not to do.
He’d underestimated Annja Creed.
Both she and Roux still lived, while the blood of Garin’s carefully groomed champion pooled upon the ground at Annja’s feet beneath the beauty of the cherry blossoms.
How poetic, he thought in disgust.
To add insult to injury, he’d even let that bastard Henshaw live. His two shots had been true, but when he’d checked the body he’d discovered that Henshaw had been wearing a protective vest; he was unconscious rather than dead. All Garin had to do to eliminate a future threat was put one more bullet through the man’s skull, but the previous shot had ruined his silencer and he hadn’t wanted to alert Annja that her partner was in trouble.
He’d let the man live and might someday regret it.
No matter, he thought.
There will be another time, another opportunity.
He was sure of it.
Just as he was sure that he and Annja Creed would one day face each other over that sword.
And on that day, Garin Braden intended to come out on top.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6626-5
THE DRAGON’S MARK
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Joe Nassise for his contribution to this work.
Copyright © 2010 by Worldwide Library.
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